OHIO — Anyone who’s found themselves in an airport amid a slew of delays and cancellations can understand the stress of the situation, and the winter weather only makes this experience more common.

What You Need To Know

  • Winter weather only makes the stress of cancelled and delayed flights more common

  • The Better Business Bureau lays out advice on how to manage travel if it is disrupted by delays or cancellations

  • Travelers, according to the BBB, should keep themselves organized and maintain any records if they suffer a delay or cancellation

  • As long as the traveler didn’t cancel on their own, they are entitled to a full refund for any cancelled flight, according to the release

The Better Business Bureau lays out some advice on how to manage travel if it is disrupted by delays or cancellations.

There are no requirement for airlines to compensate for delayed flights, according to a news release, but that some may have policies of their own for flights that were “canceled or significantly delayed within the airline’s scope of control.”

“Consumers may have additional benefits if they purchased the flight with a credit card that offers additional travel protections,” advised BBB President Judy Dollison in the release. “They should check the cardholder agreement and with the airline.”

Travelers, according to the BBB, should keep themselves organized and maintain any records if they suffer a delay or cancellation. The release notes that you may be able to submit receipts for additional purchases, like a hotel room or food to the airline or a credit card company for reimbursement.

As long as the traveler didn’t cancel on their own, they are entitled to a full refund for any cancelled flight, according to the release. If an airline offers a voucher instead, the BBB states the customer can decline and request a refund.

The BBB notes that most airlines will try to get customers on the next flight, even sometimes through another carrier.

The BBB offered the following tips when traveling amid flight disruptions:

  • Check delays: This information can be found on the airline’s website or by calling
  • Check carrier and credit card terms: The BBB suggests purchasing flights with a credit card that has trip protection or travelers insurance
  • Keep documentation: Maintain receipts of expenses incurred because of delayed or canceled flights
  • Check the carrier’s website: You may be able to receive a refund or rebook a flight much faster online than jumping in a line of other travelers with disrupted plans
  • Rules are different for foreign flights: Other circumstances may apply when traveling internationally, and the BBB recommends checking with the country’s department of transportation if travel is disrupted while abroad

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